Three athletes from the British para-cycling track team had their silver medals and personal belongings stolen in a robbery following the first day of the world championships held in Rio de Janeiro.
Lora and Neil Fachie, two Paralympic champions, along with their pilot Corinne Hall, escaped unharmed but shaken after an unexpected event on their way back to their lodging in Brazil.
Neil Fachie posted on X: “Tonight in Rio, we were robbed which means I won’t be able to answer my phone for a little while. Everyone is safe, although we are all quite shaken up. Our passports, cards, cash, and silver medals were taken. It’s a disappointing end to the day.”
The couple, who are husband and wife, won second place awards with teammates Hall and Matt Rotherham in a tandem team sprint, coming in behind Italy on Wednesday. British Cycling, with a team of 29 athletes at the event, stated they are standing behind the impacted athletes and have brought the issue to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
British Cycling has reported that the three riders are unharmed and receiving assistance from our team members on-site and at their residence. The matter has also been brought to the attention of the UCI, the local organizing committee, and law enforcement.
Neil Fachie was the gold medal winner in the men’s tandem event at the 2012 and 2020 Paralympics. His wife Lora Fachie also achieved success, winning the individual pursuit titles in Rio and Tokyo with her partner Corrine Hall. Despite both being visually impaired, the couple managed to earn gold medals and set new world records in just one hour at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Source: theguardian.com
